11 Everyday Habits That Are Quietly Aging Your Skin

You’ve put in the effort to build a skincare routine you actually stick to, and you thought you’d finally found products that work for your skin. So why are you still seeing dry patches that won’t quit, redness that wasn’t there before, and fine lines that seem to have deepened overnight?

Here’s the good news: your products probably aren’t the problem. It’s how you’re using them, plus a few habits that have nothing to do with skincare at all. The towel hanging on the back of the door. The pillowcase you’ve slept on all week. The phone you press against your cheek every time it rings.

Today I’m sharing 11 of these everyday mistakes and the simple fix for each one. Some are easy to overlook, and a few might surprise you!

11 Skincare Mistakes That Age Your Skin (And How To Break Them)

1. Rarely Cleaning Your Phone

You’ve probably heard that your phone is dirtier than a toilet seat. It’s true, but not for the reason you’d think! Toilet seats get scrubbed every week, but your phone goes everywhere with you, picks up something new at every stop, and almost never gets cleaned. Then you hold it against your ear to take a call and rub those germs all over your cheek. Yuck!

Make a habit of disinfecting your phone on a daily basis, either using a screen-safe disinfecting wipe, or by spraying a disinfectant onto a soft cloth and wiping your phone with it. Using speakerphone or headphones while making calls can also help prevent bacterial transfer.

2. Cleansing with Dirty Hands

Speaking of germ-covered surfaces… your hands touch even more of them than your phone does! So if you don’t wash them before you wash your face, not only are you transferring the germs to your skin, you’re actively rubbing them into your skin. Double yuck!

The best way to avoid this is by making a habit of washing your hands before you cleanse your face. It only adds a few seconds, and it’s the difference between your cleanser doing its job and your cleanser working against you.

3. Combining Makeup Removal and Cleansing

Think about how you clean a kitchen counter. You wipe away the crumbs and spills first, then you disinfect—because a disinfectant can’t do its job on a surface that’s still dirty.

The same principle applies to your face. Your cleanser can’t remove a day’s worth of oil and sweat if it has to fight through layers of makeup and sunscreen.

So take your makeup off first! A microfiber makeup cloth removes it all with just water, and then you can use your regular cleanser to actually wash your face.

Bonus Tip: If your skin tends to be dry like mine, you might want to add an oil cleanser as a first step. It’s called double cleansing, and it’s made a real difference for me.

4. Storing Products Improperly

Don’t worry—I’m not about to tell you to go out and buy one of those trendy skincare fridges. Your bathroom drawer or medicine cabinet works perfectly fine.

What you want to avoid is letting your skincare products get too hot. Extreme heat and direct sunlight can ruin the beneficial ingredients you paid good money for—like vitamin C, retinol, antioxidants, and the UV filters in your sunscreen.

So keep them off the bathroom windowsill and out of the car. And when you travel, pack them in your carry-on instead of a checked bag.

5. Neglecting Your Neck

When it comes to skincare, your neck shouldn’t be an afterthought! In fact, the skin on your neck is thinner than the skin on your face, contains fewer oil-producing glands, and tends to lose collagen and elasticity more quickly. Add in years of sun exposure and constant movement, and it’s no surprise that the neck is often one of the first places to show signs of aging.

The good news? You don’t need a completely separate routine. The same ingredients you use on your face can benefit your neck as well. When you cleanse your face, gently cleanse your neck, too. Then extend your serums, moisturizer, and sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) all the way down to your neck rather than stopping at your jawline.

One thing to keep in mind: Because neck skin tends to be more delicate, it’s a good idea to introduce products containing retinol or vitamin C gradually if you’ve never used them on your neck before.

6. Cleansing with Hot Water

Hot water strips away your skin’s natural oils, leaving it dry, flaky, and irritated. (That’s why long, hot showers do more harm than good!) And losing those oils is a bigger deal as we get older, because our skin doesn’t produce as much as it used to.

Cool water gets your face just as clean without any of the risk. If you’re brave enough, finish with a splash of really cold water—it’s great for getting rid of morning puffiness, and the shock of it will wake you up, too!

7. Cleansing Just Once a Day

Your face was clean when you went to bed, so it should still be clean in the morning, right? Well, sort of. While you don’t necessarily wake up with a dirty face, you do wake up with a mix of sweat and last night’s serums and creams still on your skin. Washing your face before applying your daytime products clears away that nighttime buildup, so they can actually do what they’re supposed to do.

8. Failing to Apply Sunscreen Daily

The sun’s ultraviolet rays don’t take days off, and they can contribute to wrinkles, loss of elasticity, dark spots, and even skin cancer. Sunscreen can’t undo what’s already been done, but it’s the absolute easiest and cheapest way to prevent further skin damage.

Even if you’re not planning on going outside, your skin can still be impacted by UVA and UVB rays coming through your windows. Make sure to apply sunscreen every day, and learn more about proper sun protection in this post.

9. Drying Your Face with a Dirty Towel

You wouldn’t dry your face with a towel that’s obviously dirty, but a towel doesn’t have to look dirty in order to be dirty. Using one puts dirt and bacteria right back on skin you just finished washing.

An easy way to avoid that is keeping a stack of several small towels handy so you can swap them out on a daily basis. And remember to gently pat your face dry so you don’t rub at or tug on your skin.

10. Sleeping on a Dirty Pillowcase

Your nightly skincare routine can be quickly undone by getting into bed and resting your face on a dirty pillowcase. Doing so can lead to breakouts and deepening wrinkles.

To avoid this, wash your bedding at least once a week. Those with oily hair or skin may want to keep a few extra pillowcases on hand and change them out more frequently.

Bonus Tip: Using a silk pillowcase can have added benefits too. Learn more about them in this post.

11. Using Products That Weren’t Made to Work Together

Most of us build a routine one product at a time. You read about something, you order it, you add it to the lineup on the bathroom counter. But a shelf full of good products isn’t the same thing as a routine. Products chosen one at a time can end up working against each other. Some combinations will irritate your skin, and others just mean you’re paying twice for the same job.

That’s exactly why I created the Timeless by Jillee Skincare System. Instead of layering a bunch of random products and hoping for the best, you’ll have a simple, step-by-step routine you can actually stick with.

I designed this system for women like us, who want results but also need skincare to be doable. With just five products total, it takes the guesswork out of caring for aging, sensitive skin.

Here’s what’s included:

• Nourishing Oil Cleanser – Gently melts away makeup and impurities
• Purifying Daily Cleanser – Refreshes and cleans without stripping skin
• Wrinkle Reducing Night Serum – Smooths, firms, and improves tone and texture
• Illuminating Vitamin C Serum – Brightens and evens skin tone in the morning
• Ideal Daily Moisturizer – Hydrates and locks in moisture, morning and night

It’s the routine I use every single day, and after more than four years, the only one that’s ever felt both effective and sustainable. I’m not alone in that, either:

“I’m so bad at doing anything regularly, but this is so easy and feels so good, I’m finally taking care of my face! My previous skincare system was expensive, complicated (I had to label EVERYTHING to keep it straight), and my eyes stung when I got done. And it was supposed to be gentle! No problems with this system – everything is soothing!” — Linda F.

“I have used this skincare line for a full year now. Every day. Twice a day. After 70 years, I finally have comfortable skin. No itching, redness, flaking, or tightness. I can say that my skin has never looked or felt better. Thank you, Jillee, for coming up with a complete line that my super-sensitive rosacea skin can tolerate. I am literally comfortable in my own skin for the first time in years.” — Deborah S.

“I’ve been using the Timeless skin care package since it first came out, and I really love it! My skin is so smooth and seems brighter. I am 50 years young! The fine lines also appear less noticeable. I have been following the regimen as directed twice a day. The products last a long time, smell nice and fresh, and are easy to apply. I would highly recommend this skincare line!! — Helen B.

Everything in the Timeless by Jillee line is 30% off right now, but when you buy the complete system, you’ll save 40%! That takes the cost down to just $126.57 (regularly $210.95) for a savings of more than $80.

And if you’re not completely satisfied with these products for any reason, just contact me within 90 days for a full refund. I’m that confident in them.